Kelli Thompson will be leading this group to the Cove Hardwood Trail as the parking area to the Chimney Tops Picnic Area on Hwy 441 opened on April 3.  We will explore the wildflower wonderland of Cove Hardwood.  The White Fringed Phacelia may be past peak or gone, but there should be a wide variety of other flowers blooming.  If you are an early riser and register for this event, send Kelli a message as she may go to Oconoluftee Overlook or Clingman's Dome for sunrise before meeting at the Chimneys Picnic Area to explore Cove Hardwood.  

There are nearby quiet trails we can divide and conquer if you don't get enough at Cove Hardwood.  We should be finished by lunch time and can picnic together or eat in Gatlinburg.  If you have a macro lens, that is best for wildflowers, but bring any options you may want to try.  There are landscape opportunities, especially if you go to sunrise, or you never know when or where you will see wildlife.

Parking at the Chimney Tops Picnic Area is limited so please try to carpool.  We have a small number of registration positions as well. 

You should bring anything from telephoto lenses, macro lenses,  as well as standard and/or wide angle for landscapes.  You should pack something to drink, lunch, and snacks, as well as sunscreen and bug spray.  A collapsable chair is a good option too.

We encourage participants to car pool (IGA in Townsend is a good meeting spot to do so), and we can divide up in groups to explore once we meet in the cove to help alleviate traffic back ups.